The invention relates generally to a composition of matter for raised characters and a method for manufacturing raised characters for use in making signs.
The Americans with Disabilities Act, hailed as the most far-reaching civil rights legislation in recent history, was signed into law in 1990, with portions of the law taking effect in 1992, 1993 and 1994. In a nutshell, the law requires businesses which serve the public to remove barriers and become more accessible to the disabled. Signage guidelines require facilities to be accessible to the blind and visually impaired.
Businesses affected by the law include shopping malls, health-care providers, banks, movie theaters, museums, libraries, schools, health clubs, restaurants, airports, hotels and other public accommodations.
An important part of the law mandates the use of Braille and raised character signs. Under the guidelines, signs designating handicapped parking spaces, passenger loading zones and van accessible spaces must be in Braille. Handicapped accessible entrances also must have Braille signs, as must those leading into public transportation facilities such as bus stations or airports.
Interior signs such as room numbers and names, identification of places within the building, directional and informational signs must be in Braille and raised characters. Elevators must also have Braille and raised lettering.
Quite simply, the Americans with Disabilities Act has created a niche in the signage industry which did not previously exist. In particular, with respect to the Braille and raised character requirements, the law requires:
Raised and Brailled Characters and Pictorial Symbol Signs (Pictograms) PA0 Letters and numerals shall be raised 1/32 in, upper case sans serif or simple serif type and shall be accompanied with Grade 2 Braille. Raised characters shall be at least 5/8 in (16 mm) high, but no higher than 2 in (50 mm). Pictograms shall be accompanied by the equivalent verbal description placed directly below the pictogram. The border dimension of the pictogram shall be 6 in (152 mm) minimum in height. PA0 Federal Register/Vol. 56, No. 144/Friday, Jul. 26, 1991, Section 4.30.4 at page 35659.
Presently, there are three general methods for manufacturing raised letters for use in making signs. In one method, a computer-directed X-Y router is used to cut the letters. The material to be cut is laid flat on a bed, and the words of the sign are programmed into a computer. The programming accommodates size, style and spacing of the characters. The characters are then individually cut by the router. After cutting, the whole words are transferred to a sign face, where excess material is removed from about the periphery of the characters. Typically, chips of cut material must be cleaned from the characters.
The disadvantages of this first method are several. First, the X-Y routers are very expensive, typically in the range of approximately $17,000 to $30,000, depending on model size and manufacturer. This price makes these machines unaffordable by many small sign shops. Another disadvantage with this method is that the cleanup of the characters after cutting (i.e., chip removal) is tedious and very time-consuming. The routing machine itself is very noisy to operate, which is especially troublesome in a small shop. Finally, this method limits the spacing between characters, since space must be allowed for the router bit to travel. In other words, it is difficult and/or impossible to produce whole words with very little spacing between individual letters. Another similar method to routing is X-Y computer driven laser cutters which are also very expensive, create gaseous discharges and are extremely dangerous.
A second method of manufacturing raised characters is injection molding. This is an extremely expensive method, with tooling costs for each mold in the range of $3,000 to $4,000 for just one letter size. In addition, injection mold machines typically cost between $15,000 to $20,000 each. Again, this expense is generally beyond the means of small sign shops. A further disadvantage of this method is that the molded letters are individually placed, aligned and adhered to the sign. Alignment by eye and hand is a tedious process.
Yet a third method is that of manufacturing die-cut letters. Again, the cost of steel dies to machine the letters are prohibitively expensive. As with injection molding, the die-cut method is limited to producing letters only in the sizes for which dies are available. Finally, die-cut letters must be placed on signs one letter at a time, which is very time consuming.
Thus, it is seen that a need exists for a new method of manufacturing raised characters for use in signs, which characters preferably meet the requirements of the Americans With Disabilities Act. The new method should be inexpensive and simple to implement, and should preferably use existing equipment found in most small to medium size sign shops.